possess the resources in our flesh to effectively live the Christian life; we are indeed helpless without Christ. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
God is calling us to a life of surrender, utter dependence on the Holy Spirit to live through us. Sure, we can try to live a good life, even make an attempt to live a holy life, but there is no true holiness without Christ; otherwise, it's just insufficient religious practice. We are most effective when we are relying on Him to not only speak through us, but to manifest His character in us, so that when people look at us, they can recognize the presence of God.
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In 2nd Corinthians 1, Paul relates the image of a surrendered life:
9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,
10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,
11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.
"We don't need more religion. We need more Jesus..."
In a moment of boldness on the NBC set, Kathie Lee challenged viewers - the article says:
What a wonderful opportunity to share that good news in front of a national television audience. And, the tributes have poured out in the media, and during the next few days, many will pay their respects, as the earthly body of Graham lies in repose at the Billy Graham library today and tomorrow and then in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday and Thursday before the funeral in Charlotte on Friday.
From this profile delivered by Kathie Lee Gifford, you gain a sense of the authenticity of the man. He was a powerful preacher of the gospel, but the way he conducted himself added to the message. He proclaimed the gospel through words and actions. He was not flashy, self-serving, or prone to call attention to himself. I think people looked at Billy Graham and it sparked something in the heart of human beings. It came from a life devoted to God.
We can unleash the supernatural presence of God through our humility. If we try to act spiritual as a means of drawing attention or currying favor with certain people, our productivity will be limited. But, if we live a surrendered life, regarding ourselves as empty vessels asking the Lord to fill us, then the true presence of God will be manifested through our lives. That's the reminder - we can aspire to live a holy life, but true holiness comes as we rely not on our own efforts but on the work of God in and through us.
9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,
10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,
11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.
"We don't need more religion. We need more Jesus..."
Those are the words spoken recently in one of the plethora of tributes to Billy Graham - that was from one of the powerful proclamations, which came out of a conversation between Kathie Lee Gifford of NBC's Today show and her fellow host Megyn Kelly.
CBNNews.com summarized her comments. Gifford stated:
"What just happened for Billy, happened for my husband, happened for my mother, for my father. Everybody that dies in Christ...goes immediately into the arms of Christ for eternity. That is the hope of the Christian faith," Gifford told Kelly.
"Yes, it gives us the tools we need to live in the world today while we are alive," Gifford explained. "But that's why I could hold my dead husband in my arms and rejoice, because I knew where he was."
"And it gives you the peace that passes all understanding," she continued. "If we've ever needed peace in this world, we need it now, right?"She related how she came to Christ through one of the Billy Graham movies, The Restless Ones:
"God met me right where I lived," Gifford said. "I wanted to be an actress. So where does God meet me? In a movie theater."During the Today interview, according to CBN, she "shared that her whole family came to Christ through the Billy Graham organization."
In a moment of boldness on the NBC set, Kathie Lee challenged viewers - the article says:
"I feel so privileged to share the good news. 'Gospel' means good news and I'm not talking about a religion. I'm talking about a relationship with the living God. They are so different," Gifford said.
"We don't need more religion. We need more Jesus," she said as the studio audience applauded.
Reflecting on Graham's death, Gifford told Kelly and her audience to "use this opportunity to look into your own heart."
"Everyone one of us should, and say, 'Do I have a malignancy of my soul? Where's the doctor?'" the TODAY Show co-host asked. "Well, the good news is that the doctor is in. And he conquered death for all time for everyone of us. And it's free. Probably the only thing in this whole world that is completely free."There's also a personal tribute by Gifford on the Today show website. In it, she wrote:
There’s a wonderful verse in Micah that says, basically, this is what God requires of you — to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. And by those standards, Billy lived an extraordinary, exemplary life.The preface to that article said she had a 50-year friendship with the evangelist.
What a wonderful opportunity to share that good news in front of a national television audience. And, the tributes have poured out in the media, and during the next few days, many will pay their respects, as the earthly body of Graham lies in repose at the Billy Graham library today and tomorrow and then in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday and Thursday before the funeral in Charlotte on Friday.
From this profile delivered by Kathie Lee Gifford, you gain a sense of the authenticity of the man. He was a powerful preacher of the gospel, but the way he conducted himself added to the message. He proclaimed the gospel through words and actions. He was not flashy, self-serving, or prone to call attention to himself. I think people looked at Billy Graham and it sparked something in the heart of human beings. It came from a life devoted to God.
We can unleash the supernatural presence of God through our humility. If we try to act spiritual as a means of drawing attention or currying favor with certain people, our productivity will be limited. But, if we live a surrendered life, regarding ourselves as empty vessels asking the Lord to fill us, then the true presence of God will be manifested through our lives. That's the reminder - we can aspire to live a holy life, but true holiness comes as we rely not on our own efforts but on the work of God in and through us.
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